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AnTuTu’s best price to performance ratio list for July released

AnTuTu has published the list of top 10 smartphones in July in China that offer the best value for money experience in different price segments. The list mainly includes phones released in the first half of the year and some of them are phones from last year. This indicates that such phones are still popular in the Chinese market thanks to their competitive pricing. The list for July is led by the Redmi Note 8 Pro.

In the 0 to 1,499 Yuan (~$215) price range, the Redmi Note 8 Pro’s 6GB+64GB version can be leading the pack. It is followed by 6GB+64GB Honor 9X and the recently announced 4GB+64GB Redmi 9 phone. These phones are followed by Honor Play 4T Pro, Redmi K30i 5G, Redmi 10X 4G, Redmi K30, Redmi Note 8, and Vivo Y5s.

Next comes the 1,500 Yuan to 1,999 Yuan (~$287) price range. The list is led by Redmi 10X 5G’s variant 6GB+64GB model, Redmi K30 5G’s 6GB+128GB model, and Honor 20 Pro’s 8GB+128GB edition. The remaining devices in the list include Redmi K30 5G, Honor X10, Huawei Nova 6SE, Xiaomi Mi Youth Edition 5G, Vivo Y70s, and OPPO A92s.

The 2,000 Yuan to 2,999 Yuan (~$431) price range is led iQOO Z1’s 6GB+128GB edition. It is followed by Redmi K30 5G’s 8GB+128GB variant and iQOO Neo3’s 6GB+128GB variant. The other phones that are present in the list include Realme X50 Pro Player Edition, Meizu 16T, Huawei Nova 6, Honor V30 5G, Redmi Note 10X Pro 5G, Huawei Nova 5 Pro, and OPPO Reno Ace.

The 3,000 Yuan to 4,499 Yuan (~$646) price category is led by Redmi K30 Pro’s 8GB+128GB edition, iQOO 3’s 8GB+128GB variant and Black Shark 3’s 8GB+128GB model. The other phones mentioned in the list are OPPO Ace2, Meizu 17, Honor V30 Pro 5G, Xiaomi Mi 10, OnePlus 8, Meizu 17 Pro, and Huawei Mate 30.

Coming to the costliest 4,000 Yuan and above segment, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro’s 8GB+256GB variant can be seen pioneering the pack followed by OPPO Find X2’s 8GB+128GB edition and Vivo X50 Pro+’s 8GB+128GB model. The list comprises of other phones such as Vivo NEX 3S 5G, OnePlus 8 Pro, OPPO Find X2 Pro, Honor 30 Pro+, Vivo NEX 3 5G, Huawei Mate 30 and Samsung Galaxy S20 5G (SD865).

 

 

All Huawei devices in the future may run self-developed HarmonyOS

Huawei seems very much focused on being self-reliant for making its consumer electronics devices — ranging from smartphones to tablets to laptops. From the new reports, it looks like the process is going at a rapid pace after the U.S. government banned the company.

Soon after getting banned in the United States, Huawei had launched its own operating system — HarmonyOS. Now, the company is slowly moving to adopt HarmonyOS on its devices instead of Google’s Android.

HarmonyOS

Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business has confirmed that the upcoming Huawei Smart Watch will come packed with the HarmonyOS. Soon after that, the company will start using the software on other products as well, including IoT, computers, tablets, and smartphones. The company’s executive says that HarmonyOS will become the “worldwide operating system” in the future.

EDITOR’S PICK: TikTok earns it might go to court against Trump’s executive order banning the app

This was announced at the same event where the company confirmed to launch its upcoming Mate40 flagship smartphone this fall. Huawei is likely to launch its Kirin 1000 flagship SoC on 5th September at IFA 2020.

However, the company has said that the upcoming Mate40 could be the company’s last smartphone to come powered by the Kirin-series flagship chipset. This is because of the U.S. ban, making it impossible for the company to manufacture chips.

Previous reports indicate that the company could announce a second-generation version of the operating system in September this year — HarmonyOS 2.0, aimed at computers, smartwatches, and even cars. Last month, Huawei and BYD showcased the world’s first car running HiCar system, which is powered by the Chinese giant’s self-developed HarmonyOS.

 

TikTok might go to court against Trump’s executive order banning the app

Amid ongoing talks between Microsoft and TikTok for the possible acquisition of the short-video social media platform, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning American firms from transacting with ByteDance, owner of TikTok.

This is a step forward for the Trump administration, which has been trying to ban the Chinese application, citing national security concerns without providing any proof. Based on the Forbes report, it looks like TikTok is no mood to go down so easily.

TikTok

The short video platform has warned going to court over the order. In a statement, the company said: “We are shocked by the recent Executive Order, which was issued without the due process. This Executive Order risks undermining global businesses’ trust in the United States’ commitment to the rule of law, which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth.”

The company has been a target of the U.S. lawmakers over allegations that the company could share app’s user with the Chinese government, a claim which TikTok has denied several times, citing that the data is stored in the U.S. and the Chinese government has no authority over that data.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei Mate40 could be the company’s last flagship phone to be powered by Kirin chipset

Prior to this Executive Order, the U.S. government had threatened to ban TikTok in the country unless Microsoft acquires the application by 15th September. The ban on TikTok comes after the United States has effectively banned the telecom giant Huawei for over a year now, citing similar national security concerns, without any proof. This time, the government has not only targeted TikTok but also WeChat, owned by Tencent.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, said to Reuters: “The U.S. is using national security as an excuse and using state power to oppress non-American businesses. That’s just a hegemonic practice.”

TikTok has more than 100 million users in the United States while WeChat has been downloaded more than 19 million times in the U.S. Despite getting banned in India and ongoing issues in the U.S., TikTok was the most downloaded app on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in July 2020.

 

OPPO’s latest ColorOS 7.2 debuts in India on the Reno4 Pro

Chinese tech giant OPPO has officially announced the rollout of its latest Android 10-based ColorOS 7.2 in India. The new software version which arrives with an array of new topnotch features is bundled with the Reno4 Pro. Sadly, that is the only phone you can get the new OS on right now. The Reno4 went on sale in India on August 5 marking the rollout of the OS in the country.

The new version of ColorOS 7 offers a slew of new and improved features which improves the functionalities making the device smarter, more efficient, and versatile. ColorOS 7.2 offers new features that make the use of the smartphone easier, richer, and fun. It is built on Android 10, the latest version of Google’s operating system, and comes with the most used Google apps pre-installed, including calls and messages. Building on top of the lightweight design approach of ColorOS 7, the new version offers a richer and fun experience with new features such as the AI App Preloading, Super Power Saving Mode, OPPO Lab, Quick Return Bubble and more.

You can read more about ColorOS 7.2 from here.

 

 

 

OnePlus 7/7T series receive OxygenOS Open Beta 17/7 with August 2020 security patch and a ton of fixes

OnePlus has begun to roll out OxygenOS Open Beta 17/7 for OnePlus 7/7T series worldwide. This will be the only Open Beta release for these handsets for this month as the brand reduced their frequency to single build per month in June. Apart from bringing August 2020 security patch, the update also adds new OnePlus Tips & Help sedition and a number of fixes as well as optimizations.

OnePlus 7T Hands on volume button featured

Just like the last Open Beta build for OnePlus 7/7Pro and OnePlus 7T/7T Pro, the new one also brings more bug fixes than new features. The only new addition mentioned-above is nothing but a sort of digital user manual in the Settings app.

Talking about fixes, the new update fixes an abnormal error in “Lockbox”, auto-start issue with QXDM logs after reboot, and “File Manager” did not display some downloaded documents of apps. Also, it optimizes and improves user experience with long screenshot and stability of WiFi transfers.

In a nutshell, this OxygenOS release is just a minor update to improve the overall experience of the software of the phone. That said, the OTA update is being rolled out in batches and will soon reach your device if you are running the Open Beta build.

OnePlus 7/7T series OxygenOS Open Beta 17/7 Official Changelog

  • System
    • Newly added user assistance feature to help user master usage skills quickly(Route: Settings>OnePlus Tips&Help)
    • Fixed the abnormal error occured in Lockbox
    • Fixed the auto-start issue with QXDM logs after reboot
    • Optimized user experience with long screenshot in some scenarios
    • Updated Android security patch to 2020.08
  • Messages
    • Optimized the categorization, messages of the same contact now merged in one card(India only)
  • File Manager
    • Fixed the issue that File Manager did not display some downloaded documents of apps
  • Network
    • Improved the stability of Wi-Fi transfers

 

(Source 1, 2 / Via)

Huawei Mate40 could be the last flagship to be powered by Kirin chipset

During China Information Technology Summit 2020, Huawei consumer business CEO Yu Chengdong confirmed that the company will be launching its Mate40 flagship series smartphone sometime this fall.

He has also confirmed that the device will be powered by the company’s own Kirin 9000 SoC, which he claims will be one of the most powerful with support for 5G connectivity, AI processing, and powerful GPU as well as NPU.

Kirin 1000

Further, Yu Chengdong has also revealed that the Mate40 could be the last smartphone to come powered by the flagship Kirin processor. The ban on Huawei by the United States is set to take effect from 15th September and the executive says that it will be impossible to manufacture chips and thus, the company will cease making flagship chipsets.

Going further, the Chinese giant is planning to make breakthroughs in basic research and precision manufacturing in physical material science. The company continues making investments in materials and core technologies related to new processes for innovation.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi edges Huawei in Q2 2020 to emerge the 3rd largest phone vendor in Europe

For those who are unaware, recently, the U.S. government announced new rules which require chipmakers using U.S. technology to apply for a license to ship chips to Huawei and other banned entities. TSMC, the contract manufacturer of Huawei chips, confirmed that it has stopped taking new orders from the Chinese giant since May.

It remains to be seen what the future will be for Huawei in terms of mid-range chipsets. The company has already shifted mass-production orders of Kirin 710A SoC based on the 14nm process, from TSMC to China-based SMIC, making it the first pure Chinese chip with independent intellectual property rights.

 

Xiaomi launches new Mijia Convection Microwave Oven for 549 Yuan ($78)

Xiaomi has just launched a new Mijia product earlier today (7th August 2020). It is a new Mijia Smart Convection Microwave Oven, that supports both regular heating and barbecue as well.

Looking at the product, it resembles a simple design with a single color scheme. Its form factor resembles any other conventional microwave, with just two multi function buttons and one multi purpose knob. The Mijia microwave can hold up to 23 litres in volume in terms of total capacity. It will be available for purchase from 11th August 2020 in China and is priced at 549 yuan (roughly 78 US Dollars).

Xiaomi

The Mijia Convection Microwave Oven supports different types of cooking as well, including micro roasting, and grilling apart from just regular heating. It also offers quartz tubes for grilling barbecue while its flat plate heating plate is made from microcrystalline. Through this, it can also offer heating and steaming functions. Since it is a smart product, the device can be controlled with the Mijia smart app that connects to other IoT products as well. Notably, built in recipes are also offers and can be accessed through the application.

 

OnePlus 7T/7T Pro get OxygenOS 10.3.4/10.0.12/10.0.10 with July 2020 security patch and more

OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro, the brand’s last-gen smartphones are receiving new system update with July 2020 security patch, a couple of new features, and some fixes. This is the same update that was rolled out to OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro a few days back.

oneplus 7t

The new OxgenOS update for OnePlus 7T series come with different build number based on regions. The Indian version of the OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro are getting OxygenOS 10.3.4. While the EU (Europe) and the Global variant of the devices are receiving separate builds – OxygenOS 10.0.12 (7T) and OxygenOS 10.0.10 (7T Pro).

Despite different build numbers, it is a common update for both OnePlus 7 and 7T series. Hence, the changelog remains the same for the models.

The new system update brings July security patch, new clock styles, new “Chromatic effect” in “Reading mode”, adds support for OnePlus Buds, fixes double tap issue in waking screen as well as the wrong display of SIM card names, and adapts Bluetooth hearing aid app connection under the Android 10 ASHA agreement.

OnePlus 7T/7T Pro OxygenOS 10.3.4/10.0.12/10.0.10 Official Changelog

  • System
    • Newly adapted OnePlus Buds, easier to take advantage of wireless connection
    • Provided a variety of clock styles for you. You can customize on your own. (Go to Settings>Customization>Clock style)
    • Fixed the issue that double tap could not wake up the screen in some settings
    • Updated Android security patch to 2020.07
  • Reading mode
    • Added the Chromatic effect option to adapt color range and saturation intelligently for a better reading experience (Settings – Display – Reading mode – Turn on reading mode – Chromatic effect)
  • Bluetooth
    • It has adapted to Bluetooth hearing aid app connection under the Android 10 Audio Streaming for Hearing Aid (ASHA) Agreement
  • Network
    • Fixed the wrong display of names of inserted SIM cards from different carriers

 

(Via)

Black Shark releases new Gaming Thumb Sleeves for 29 Yuan ($4)

Earlier today (7th August 2020), Black Shark officially announced a new gaming peripheral. Unlike its regular electronic products or gaming smartphone add ons, this one fits the user and has been dubbed the Black Shark Gaming Thumb Sleeves set.

Black Shark

The new Gaming Thumb Sleeves are exactly as the name suggests, a pair of thumb sleeves for avid gamers. It is priced at 29 Yuan (roughly 4 US Dollars) and will be available for purchase on 11th August 2020. According to official notes, these gaming thumb sleeves are extremely thin, measuring just 0.25mm and are made out of superconducting carbon fiber along with ultra-thin spandex and super breathable cotton.

Black Shark

The Black Shark Gaming Thumb Sleeve was sewn together using 18 knitting methods and use a 1-piece stitching technology through 12 technological processes. It can wrap up to 220g, making it suitable for different types of hand sizes as well. Since it is made out of fiber material, it is highly advised to keep it away from any source of fire or any sharp objects that might cut the thin material. It follows a dark gray color scheme with neon green lining and features the brand’s logo as well.

 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 features ECG in just South Korea for now

Samsung recently unveiled its next generation of smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 3. It arrives with support for multiple health related functions, including an electrocardiogram (ECG) feature. However, this is only available for the South Korean variant for now, and will soon be available on the Galaxy Watch 3 global version and Galaxy Watch Active 2 as well, as reported by Engadget.

Samsung

Among its other notable health features, the new Galaxy Watch 3 also supports blood pressure monitoring, something the Apple Watch has yet to offer. Although, it does require one to calibrate it with a blood pressure cuff to get the baseline readings. But after this, it can calculate the systolic and diastolic pressures through the use of algorithms. Keep in mind, it won’t be as accurate as a standard blood pressure monitor.

One of the big let downs is that these features are only available in South Korea. Samsung was waiting for FDA approval before bringing blood pressure monitoring and ECG to the US. According to the South Korean tech giant’s recent livestream, approval for both have been received, which means that the update for these features should arrive soon.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 41mm
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3: 41mm

Other health related features like the maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 Max) and SpO2 (relative blood oxygen) readings will also be present in the device. But unfortunately, it will not be available from day one of launch. Samsung plans on adding these through future software updates sometime during Q3 2020.

 

Cut corners on the OnePlus Nord makes it easier to repair: iFixit

The newly launched OnePlus Nord made its way to iFixit, which recently uploaded a teardown video of the affordable 5G smartphone. The YouTube video had the handset be disassembled, revealing cut corners that have made it easier to repair.

At the moment, OnePlus Nord is one of the most affordable 5G smartphones in the market. But with the non-premium price tag comes a few areas that had to be downgraded. While most OnePlus smartphone models in the past couple of years sport a glass on metal rear cover, the Nord features a cheaper glass on plastic panel. However, this makes it easier to pry open, rather than requiring dangerous levels of heat application to loosen the adhesive.

After removing the rear pane, iFixit found a good number of screws, which were all the same size, length, and kind. In other words, they required only a single Philips screwdriver to remove. Furthermore, the expert also noted that everything is modular and easy to replace, with even the battery pack having an easy to use pull tab. Interestingly, the teardown revealed a generous use of rubber gaskets around connectors for waterproofing. This means that OnePlus did offer some protection against water despite the device not having an official IP rating, which the company previously stated to be expensive.

OnePlus Nord
OnePlus Nord in Gray and Cyan

iFixit gave the device an overall score of 6 out of 10, with the main drawback being the display which is still glued down hard and a rather bothersome method of removing the battery. Although, apart from these issues, the OnePlus Nord still received a positive review in the YouTube video, which you can check out above.

 

TikTok was the most downloaded app in July despite stresses from governments

Apps have become a fundamental part of our daily life. We have apps for almost everything on our smartphones. Due to lockdowns, people around the world are spending more time on their handsets than ever before. This has led to the rise of app downloads. According to a new report, despite stresses from various governments, TikTok was still the most downloaded app on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in July 2020.

Top Apps Downloads July 2020 Sensor Tower

Sensor Tower is a well-known app analytical research firm. It releases a public report on top app downloads every month. The report for July 2020 is out and it mimics the previous month’s report with some minor changes.

The top 5 overall app downloads still include the same apps from last month and they are TikTok, Facebook, Zoom, Instagram, and WhatsApp respectively. Also, TikTok led the chart on both App Store and Play Store with more than 65.2 million downloads (combined).

Due to the ban of TikTok by the Indian government, its alternatives are on the rise since then but only two of them reached the top 10 chart. The first one is Likee at the ninth position and it has been part of the top 10 before.

The second one is Snatch Video with about 28.8 million downloads securing the eighth position. This app managed to enter the elite list for the very first time. For comparison, it was only downloaded 7.8 million times in June, which is 3.5 times lower than its July count.

Having said that, it is not sure how long TikTok will continue to lead the chart as it is expected to be banned by the US government if no American company buys it.

 

Kirin 1000 may launch on September 5, probably at the IFA 2020

Last year, Huawei announced the Kirin 990 5G chipset in September. The company has used the chipset to power many of its flagship phones such as Huawei Mate 30 series, Huawei P40 series, Honor 30 series, and more. Rumors have it that the upcoming Huawei Mate 40 will be driven by the all-new Kirin 1000 chipset. A reliable tipster from China has claimed that the Kirin 1000 5G will break cover on Sept. 5.

The Sept. 5 date that the leakster has claimed coincides with the upcoming IFA 2020 tech trade show that will be held between Sept. 3 and Sept. 5. Hence, it appears that the Chinese manufacturer will possibly unleash the Kirin 1000 5G chipset at the IFA 2020 event.

The Kirin 1000 will be Huawei’s weapon to rival with upcoming chipsets from rival brands such as A4 chip from Apple, Qualcomm’s next chipset that could be called Snapdragon 875, and the Samsung’s forthcoming flagship chip. The leak by the tipster suggests that Huawei will produce 15 million units of the Kirin 1000 SoC.

It was reported in June that the Huawei Mate 40 series debuting in October could be the first Kirin 1000 powered chipset. The Kirin 1000 is expected to debut as the world’s first 5nm chipset for mobile devices. The leakster had previously claimed that the SoC is manufactured by TSMC.

Rumors are rife that the 5G chipset is equipped with ARM Cortex-A78 CPU cores. The chip area of the Kirin 1000 is said to 113.31 sq. mm and is said to have 171.3 million transistors per mm.

Coming back to the Mate 40 series, rumors have it that the Mate 40 series may not be equipped with Kirin chipset outside China. It is being said that the Mate 40 models in global markets may feature MediaTek’s flagship chipset.

 

South Korea to launch Pilot 6G Project in 2026

The South Korean government is planning on launching the pilot project for 6G networking in 2026. The upcoming mobile networking generation is touted to be 50 times faster than 5G and the nation plans on commercializing the service between 2028 to 2030, according to a report from Business Korea.

South Korea

Earlier this week, Chung Se-kyun, Prime Minister of South Korea, finalized the government’s strategy to promote research and development for the next generation of telecommunications at a science and technology meet. The strategy involves preemptive development of future technology alongside securing standard and high value patents and laying R&D and industry foundations.

The South Korean government is planning on investing 200 billion won (roughly 169 million US Dollars) over five years for this project, starting from 2021, to secure high risk basic 6G technology. It will start by pushing 10 strategic tasks in 6 key areas which include hyper-performance, hyper-bandwidth, hyper-precision, hyper-space, hyper-intelligence, and hyper-trust.

South Korea

This project aims to reach one-terabyte-per-second data transmission speed, which is five times faster than 5G, and reduce latency to a tenth of 5G services, down to  0.1ms for its wireless services. Notably, the government is also planning on making6G networking available up to 10 km above the ground. After securing the supporting infrastructure and technology, the government will begin the 6G pilot project by 2026 which will also have far reaching applications in various industries like healthcare, self driving cars, and construction of smart cities.

 

Xiaomi responds to recent app ban in India, says that Indian User data stays in India

Earlier this week, Xiaomi, with its Mi Browser Pro, joined the Indian government list of banned Chinese applications. Now, the company has responded to the ban and has even claimed a few interesting points as well.

In a Twitter post that was shared earlier today (7th August 2020), Xiaomi India stated that it will comply with the local government’s mandate and not have any of the blocked apps available. However, it also pointed out that its “MIUI Cleaner app is not using Clean Master app banned by Indian Govt,” and that “100 percent of Indian user data stays in India.”

The Chinese tech giant also shared a message with its userbase as well, in which it further clarified and elaborated on the aforementioned points. The company is working on developing a “new version of MIUI that will be built without pre-installation of any of the blocked apps.” This will be available in the next coming few weeks. Xiaomi stated that it uses its own Cleaner app and not the banned Cleaner Master app that has been blocked.

Xiaomi

Furthermore, the company also said that it complies and adheres to a strict data privacy policy that meets the security requirements under Indian law. Xiaomi mentioned that before it was mandated, Xiaomi had already “pioneered” data localization for all of Xiaomi India apps and users. In other words, the smartphone maker has stores data for Indian users in servers located within the country since 2018 and has not shared it with anyone outside of the region.

 

Here’s why Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra is not called Mi 10 Pro Plus

Xiaomi has scheduled an event for August 11 in China to launch a number of products celebrating the 10th anniversary of the company. The star of the show will be Mi 10 Extreme Commemorative Edition aka Mi 10 Ultra. Last night, Lei Jun, the CEO and co-founder of the firm revealed the motive behind this unique branding.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Extreme Commemorative Edition Mi 10 Ultra Box Teaser Featured

The upcoming Mi 10 Ultra is expected to be the fastest charging smartphone of 2020. Also, it is said to offer granular control over GPU in partnership with Qualcomm. Even the company is teasing it to be its most powerful smartphone yet.

But there is a commotion among netizens regarding why the device is not called Mi 10 Pro Plus like P40 Pro Plus, which is Huawei’s ultimate flagship smartphone of H1 2020. To clear everyone’s doubts, the CEO of Xiaomi posted an FAQ on Weibo explaining the branding, availability, and price.

Why Mi 10 Extreme Commemorative Edition (Mi 10 Ultra)?

Lei Jun has been describing the forthcoming Mi 10 series phone as a “超大杯” (super big cup/oversized cup). In China, this term is used for premium flagship smartphones. Secondly, the company is launching it to celebrate its 10th year anniversary. Also, they wanted to give it a Chinese name.

Hence, he chose two names for the device and combined them. The first part of the branding says “至尊” (Extreme/Supreme) as it will be a powerful smartphone (super big cup). Whereas, the second-word “纪念” (commemorate/celebrate) is being used to describe it as the product for the 10th year anniversary.

Further, he revealed that they will be simply calling it “Mi 10 Ultra” for global markets. Probably because the original branding it too long and confusing for international customers.

Talking about availability, he said that they have enough stock to fulfil the demand but still asks fans to pre-order just in case to get first dibs on it. Lastly, he hinted the pricing to be premium.

So don’t expect Xiaomi’s powerful smartphone to be cheaper compared to premium handsets from its competitors as well as its own lineup.

 

Apple iPhone 12 camera lens supplier faces quality issues, launch date unaffected: Ming-Chi Kuo

One of the camera lens suppliers for the upcoming Apple iPhone 12 series is apparently facing quality issues. However, this won’t be affecting the company’s launch schedule, which is already delayed, according to known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple

Kuo’s latest report revealed that Genius Electronic Optical has found issues with cracking coating on the wide angle camera lens, which was designed for the 5.4 inch and 6.1 inch iPhone 12 models. These problems were found in the high-temperature/high-humidity (HTHH) testing and will hamper the Genius’s ability to supply the upcoming 2020 iPhone flagship.

The report also stated that it “estimates that the low-end 7P wide-angle lens, CCM, and final assembly mass production of the 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch aluminum frame iPhone will be in mid-to-late August, mid-to-late September, and early October, respectively. We believe that in the uncertain timetable for [Genius] to solve the quality problem of film cracking, Apple will give priority to purchasing Largan’s low-end 1/2.6” 7P wide-angle lens at least in the initial supply stage to ensure that the two aluminum-framed ‌iPhone 12‌ can be as scheduled.”

Apple

Furthermore, Genius will probably have to slash its prices down by about 30 percent. This would act as an incentive for the issue and still keep it relevant while not have it lose its shares to Largan, who is not facing a similar issue at the moment. Apple has already confirmed that the launch of the iPhone 12 series will be delayed by a few weeks, with a staggered launch which would have the two 6.1-inch models (non-Pro and Pro) arriving first and the 5.4-inch non-Pro and 6.7-inch Pro models launching after.

 

HTC Wildfire E2 with Helio P22, 4,000mAh battery and 16MP triple cameras launched for RUB 9,990 (~$138)

HTC has silently announced a new smartphone called HTC Wildfire E2 in Russia. It is a new mid-ranger from the brand that comes with a tall aspect ratio display, a modest chipset, a big battery, and triple rear cameras.

HTC Wildfire E2 specifications and features

The HTC Wildfire E2 comes with a polycarbonate construction measures 154 x 75.9 x 8.59mm and it weighs 173.5 grams. The rear side of the device has a textured appeal. The handset houses a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display that produces HD+ resolution of 720 x 1560 pixels. The Wildfire E2 has an 8-megapixel selfie camera. The rear-facing camera setup that is assisted by an LED flash includes a 16-megapixel main sensor and a 2-megapixel lens. The Wildfire E2 is capable of recording 1080p videos and it coffers photography features like autofocus, beauty mode, and face detection.

HTC Wildifre E2 Black

The Wildfire E2 is powered by Helio P22 chipset. It is coupled with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. The device is equipped with a hybrid SIM slot for adding a microSD card. The phone comes preinstalled with Android 10 OS.

HTC Wildfire E2 blue

The HTC Wildfire E2 is backed with a 4,000mAh battery. Once charged, the phone can offer up to 20 hours of talk time, 25 hours of music playback, and 6 hours of video playback. It has a rear-mounted fingerprint reader. The other features that are available on the Wildfire E2 include dual SIM slot, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, micro USB, FRM radio, Dictaphone, and 3.5mm audio jack.

HTC Wildfire E2 pricing and availability

The HTC Wildfire E22 is priced at RUB 9,990 (~$135). The phone comes in two colors like black and blue. There is no word on which other markets will be receiving the Wildfire E2.

 

 

iQOO 5 Pro (V2025A) variant with 120W fast charger bags 3C certification

It is believed that the iQOO 5 series launching on Aug. 17 has two models. One could be a standard model whereas the other one could be a top model. A Vivo phone with model number V2024A was certified by the 3C authority of China. The 5G phone was spotted with a 55W charger. This model number is mentioned in the iQOO 5 reservations page on JD.com. It indicates that the model number belongs to the standard version of the iQOO 5. A new smartphone with a V2025A model number has received approval from the 3C certification platform. Since it has been spotted with a 120W charger, it seems to the top variant of the iQOO 5.

iQOO 5 phone with 120W charger 3C certified

The V2025A’s 3C listing shows that it is a 5G phone and it is accompanied with a charger that has a V12060L0C0-CN model number. It supports maximum charging rates of 20V/6A (120W).

iQOO 5 Pro 120W charging (V2025A)

According to a Chinese tipster, the V2025A will be made official as iQOO 5 Pro. He added that its charging port is backward compatible with 55W/44W fast charging technology and it also supports 65W PD fast charging. It is speculated that the handset has a 4,000mAh battery. With 120W charging tech, the phone can fully charge in 15 minutes, claims the company.

iQOO has revealed that the iQOO 5 series is powered by Snapdragon 865 mobile platform. The SoC is coupled with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. It is known that the iQOO 5 houses an AMOLED display with punch-hole design. The screen curves impressively towards the left and right edges. It supports a 120Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz touch sampling rate.

A poster released by the company today states that the iQOO 5 has a 120db high dynamic Hi-Fi audio chip and stereo speakers. It supports Hi-Res audio. However, a video commercial of the phone that is doing rounds on Weibo shows that it lacks a 3.5mm audio jack. The video also suggests that the phone’s rear is equipped with a Vivo X50 Pro-like camera setup with a large-sized main camera sensor.

 

 

E Ink announces a 10.3-inch flexible ePaper display

If you want a smartphone with a foldable display, you can actually purchase one this very minute. Manufacturers such as Samsung, Huawei, Motorola, and Flexpai have announced commercially available foldable devices with flexible OLED panels. However, OLED panels are not the only type of screens that have been made foldable. There are also flexible e-ink displays and E Ink just announced a new one.

EInk flexible ePaper display
Image source: ITHome

The new E Ink display is the 10.3-inch flexible ePaper display and it seems to have been announced very recently. It is just 0.1-inches larger than the version announced back in 2017. The main difference between the two seems to be the addition of a backlight to the new model, to make it easier to see even in low-light.

The flexible ePaper display will find good use in eReaders, e-ink notebooks, eNewspapers, and even small-sized signage boards. At the moment, there isn’t any commercially-available eReader that uses a flexible ePaper display and we are not sure we will see one soon. Wearable manufacturers also do not seem too keen to adopt flexible e-ink displays for use in their products.